The fact that personal development/growth programs have become so popular as to have evolved into an industry-level production phenomenon has, in part, led some critics to describe the entire personal development or self-help movement as an “addiction.”

Such critics tend to lump all self-improvement and personal development/growth materials into the category of psychological or psyche-self-improvement. I prefer to think of our dedicated examination of personal development materials, and their inherent ability to change us, and to develop our potential, as more of a serious and productive hobby than as an addiction.

We tend to read, view, and listen to such a large amount of these materials because genuine self-improvement is difficult and it takes repetition and reaching a critical mass of information before we begin to understand some of the basic precepts of what, in many cases with the best of these materials, is wisdom literature.

However, our personal growth/development can become a perpetual cycle of endless reading studying and studying (and therefore a potential addiction to searching for the perfect answer) unless we couple the learning, optimism, and faith in our potential that we are gaining through our study, with action.

To paraphrase the Bible, which, in itself is a vast storehouse of wisdom writing:

Just as the body will die without breath, so too will faith without works be dead also.